To Silence a Spy
Cantina As you step down into this dark, smoke-filled room, the first thing you notice is the wide variety of alien races represented by the bar patrons. The Cantina is usually a crowded place, its business fueled by the nearby spaceport. Smugglers and pirates, bounty hunters and merchants, thugs, pickpockets, rogues and criminals of all sorts gather around the round tables that are set too close together in the shadows and along the walls, sipping dark, exotic looking drinks and discussing all manner of business, legal or illegal. Against the lefthand wall runs the bar, where customers seated at stools or standing between them try to get the attention of the overweight, grungy-looking bartender who scowls and eyes the crowd darkly as he serves up drinks. The buzz of the Cantina is normally covered by the upbeat music of Fig'rin D'an and the Modal Nodes, the famous all-Bith band. The short, hairless aliens play their exotic flute-like instruments tirelessly, as what little light to be found in the bar glints off their pale white skin and their dark, glassy eyes that are set close above their mouths. Most of the customers seem to ignore the band, although the music provides nice cover for private conversations. Privacy and caution are the bywords here, as many of the patrons have no desire to be found and many others are dangerously unpredictable. Fights are not uncommon here, and deaths even less so, as the few imperial patrols on Tatooine rarely bother to enter this place. To say the Cantina is "a little rough" would be an overwhelming understatement. Still, for those with the right connections or the right money, the Cantina is a great place to find whatever you need in Mos Eisley, including transportation away from this sandblown planet. Most of the best pilots who come to Tatooine can be found here, and for a price may be induced to provide discrete transportation for passengers and cargo. Into the Cantina walks a short, fat man. He wears a dusty hooded robe that is probably designed to protect him from the heat, but which also serves to conceal most of his features. Most, that is, except for his rather large stomach. He walks down into the Cantina and heads for the bar. Phoenix sits at the bar, sipping a glass of whiskey and watching the rest of the Cantina. She watches the man approach the bar, saying nothing for now. Snarl Varr hunches at the bar, getting a drink. As he is served, he takes it in his claws, and slinks towards the table in the back corner, grey eyes flickering over the man as he does. His ruined right hand checks the rifle slung over his shoulder for a moment, then, satisfied that he's safely armed, the Shistavanen walks to his seat. The fat, robed man looks around the bar carefully after he orders his drink. Upon seeing Snarl Varr, he changes course and approaches the hunter. He holds out both hands, palm outward, and says, "Greetings, hunter. I am Konar. I run the Guild's information network in Mos Eisley. May I have a word with you?" Phoenix seems to lose interest in the man for now, returning her attention to the rest of the Cantina. However, her gaze does flick over to him and Snarl every now and then. Snarl Varr's ears perk up, and he turns to look the human, first his head, then his neck and shoulders, so that his entire crouching body is twisted in half. He sniffs experimentally, then takes a step towardshim. "A worrd?" He growls curiously. "Gladly, Konarrr." He gestures to the booth in the corner, and growls "Join me?" Konar bows his hooded head slightly, and steps to follow Snarl Varr. Phoenix glances over to the hunter and informant for a few moments and then, seeming to dismiss them for now, returns her attention to the rest of the room. Snarl Varr stalks to the table in the back, and slides in, placing his drink in front of him and gesturing for the informant to sit as well. "What can I do forrr you, Konarrr?" He asks as politely as an armed Shistavanen is going to. Konar takes the seat, and lets the hood to his robe fall back. His head is bald, his face fleshy and round, and his left eye is covered with a black patch. "I supervise nearly a dozen agents who report on target movements for the Guild," he says. "Most are just local types who need a little cash, and were recruited by one hunter or another to keep an eye out. They report to me, I report to the Guild." He glances around nervously. "But four of my people have disappeared in the last two days...and...and..." Again, the man looks around nervously. Snarl Varr leans forwards to peer at the human with grey eyes. "I underrstand. Do you have any idea who might be behind these ocurrances?" He sets his jaw and growls slowly. "I could hazarrd a guess." Konar nods once, and glances around again. "You would probably guess right! Fett," he says in a raspy whisper, "arrived on Tatooine three nights ago. He has his own network of spies, people who work for Jabba, mainly. Fett and Jabba have a long-running relationship. I think he is trying to shut down the Guild's information resources here. I think he's taking people out." Phoenix looks over to Konar again, tilting her head to one side. She mutters, "If he's got somethin' he doesn't want anyone else t' know, then why doesn't he act like he's got nothin' t' hide?" Ix snorts softly, shaking her head and then returning her attention to the rest of the Cantina. Snarl Varr glances over at the human girl for a moment with a growl, then turns back to Konar. "I strrongly doubt I could hinderr Fett on my own." he says candidly. "But I will help howeverr I can. And the guild shall be inforrmed of this. It is unnacceptable." "Yes, yes," Konar says, "That was what I wanted. The Guild must be made aware. Even if Fett does not get to us all, he has my people scared. He has *me* scared." Konar looks around again. "He knows my face." Phoenix makes a face at Snarl, returning to her watching of the hunter and informant. Boba Fett walks into the Cantina with the casual slowness of a cat. His EE-3 is at the ready, held across his chest by both hands. Phoenix sits at the bar, sipping a glass of whiskey and watching Snarl and a man the hunter is talking to. Snarl Varr is hunched in the back, across from a fat human, his lanky form tense as his eyes scan the catina every few moments. He seems to glance at Fett as the other enters, and clawed fingers dig furrows in the tabletop. Konar, sitting across from Snarl Varr, sees the hunter's eyes move toward the door, and turns to look. His fat face grows pale, and beads of sweat form on his bald head. He quickly raises the hood of his robe. "I have done what I had to do. Tell the Guild that they cannot count on reliable reports from Tatooine while Fett runs free here! Soon you will have no informants left. Now I must go, before he sees me!" The fat man rises, and keeps his head down with his hood pulled down low. He makes his way toward the door by weaving through the crowd, trying to keep as far from Fett as he can. Boba Fett seems to move through the bar without noticing Konar, and heads for the bar. At the last moment, however, he quickly changes directions and shoves his way through the crowd to intercept the fat man. Phoenix looks around, eyes widening as she sees Fett. The teen says nothing, just watching quietly. Konar has been keeping his head down, and practically bumps into Fett before he realizes the hunter is now in front of him. He falls backward, his hood falling away, and he looks up at the bounty hunter. "Uh...hello...Mr. Fett. Lo-..Long time." Snarl Varr slips half out from behind the table, still crouching and bringing his blaster to where he can grip it. He watches cautiously, nervously, but certainly unsure that he can do anything to help. Snarl Varr wields his Blastech EE-3 Phoenix is watching Konar, Fett and Snarl quietly. The teen says nothing, eyes slightly wide. Boba Fett looks down at Konar. "Too long," he says, and points the rifle at the fat man. "I left you with one eye once before, old man. Now I leave the Guild none on this world." He fires his rifle, point blank, at Konar. Vech strolls into the Cantina, whistling softly when he opens the door, but dropping off once he gets into the much for crowded bar, where it would probably annoy someone. He walks in the direction of the bar, stopping as he sees the bounty hunter and Konar. He blinks once, edging a hand towards his pistol before edging quickly away from the drawn and aimed blasters. He seems to almost jump out of his skin as a shot is fired. Konar is struck in the chest by the shot before he has a chance to react. With no armor, the blast rips open a large hole where many important organs had, up to that point, been housed. He crumples to the ground, dead instantly. A fully cloaked figure, henceforth called 'Ruu' for short, enters the famous Mos Eisley Cantina shortly after Vech, peeking around the corner of the arch cautiously as the shots are heard, her own hands fumbling under her cloak for something. Dronosk shuffles in closely behind Ruu, stopping a few feet behind her. Boba Fett looks around the bar slowly, standing over the corpse of the man who, until recently, coordinated all information gathering for the Bounty Hunters' Guild on Tatooine. From his helmet speakers comes that flat, filtered voice. "Anyone have any problems?" Phoenix shakes her head quickly, studying Konar's corpse for several moments before dismissing it - death happens all the time in Mos Eisley. Just because this time it was caused by Boba Fett doesn't make it much different. Vech shakes his head, the look on his face going quite blank, as his hand moves slowly away from his blaster pistol. "Nope." He states, before moving on, though he doesn't take his eyes off of Fett until there are a few people between them. 'Ruu' ducks her head back behind the arch to go mingle with the friendlier folk in the town square until she sees Fett leave the cantina. Dronosk follows quickly behind Ruu. Boba Fett nods once. He shoulders his weapon, and turns to walk out of the Cantina. He pays no one else any heed: his business there is finished for today. Category:Reach of the Empire Logs Bold text